Traditionally, sanitary napkins have included a central absorbent element having a body facing side, a garment facing side, longitudinally extending sides and transverse ends. These napkins generally include an absorbent core made of loosely associated hydrophilic materials such as wood pulp, as generally known in the art. This core can be easily deformed under a relatively nominal compressive force, resulting in surface distortion and loss of good body contact.
In an effort to overcome the loss of protection due to the lack of close contact with the body of the wearer, the art has introduced absorbent products having elastic members disposed longitudinally, along the sides of the product, to create raised edge portions adjacent the central absorbent area to act as barriers against lateral leakage. See McFarland, U.S. Pat. No. 4,579,556; Widlund, et al., EPO No. 0091412, filed March 17, 1983; and Mokry, EPO No. 0155515, filed Feb. 2, 1985. Although not related to sanitary napkins, Shikata, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,661,102, discloses a disposable diaper having crotch tensioning means disposed to impose outward lateral tension on the crotch portion of the diaper when in use. The object of the tensioning means is to improve the aesthetic fit on the wearer and improve containment of voided materials.
Recent napkin designs address the side edge leakage problem by including side panels, flaps or wings that extend laterally from the longitudinal sides of the central absorbent. See Mattingly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,608,047, McNair, U.S. Pat. No. 4,285,343. These products are designed to protect the undergarments of their users by wrapping around the edge of undergarment. The flaps preferably have adhesive disposed on their body fluid impervious surfaces for attaching them to the underside surface of the crotch portion of the garments.
Accordingly, a need exists for a sanitary napkin that maintains close contact with the body of the wearer during normal use. There is also a need for a sanitary napkin having panty protecting flaps which can be adhered to and removed from the panty more conveniently.